Much of the footwear sold today includes replaceable insoles. Replaceable insoles offer the user several benefits which include the ability to replace worn insoles, the ability to select an insole which is specifically designed for the requirements of the user, e.g., running, prolonged standing, fallen arches, etc. Many replaceable insoles are made utilizing a foam material which over time can lose its cushioning properties due to compaction from use and normal wear and tear. Thus, replaceable insoles allow a consumer to maintain the benefits of the insole by replacing worn out insoles.
Replaceable insoles can be made in individual sizes corresponding to shoe size or made in a limited number of sizes and the insole can be trimmed down to the desired size. Replaceable insoles have been designed to fulfill specific purposes such as shock absorption, and structures intended to facilitate the proper orthopedic placement of the foot, support for fallen arches, etc. Frequently, insole designs intended to assist in the proper alignment of the foot, or to address other orthopedic concerns, have involved more complex construction than insoles designed only to provide cushioning. The more complex construction frequently uses additional features such as stiff components to assist and maintain the proper orientation of the foot.
One advantage of making replaceable insoles in individual sizes, corresponding to shoe sizes, is that the more complex designs to produce particular orthopedic results can be utilized more effectively. In the past, it has been difficult to make a multi-sized insole which included rather rigid support elements to achieve certain orthopedic results. The disadvantage of producing replaceable insoles in individual sizes include requiring a mold for each size, requiring inventory and marketing support for all sizes of shoes, increased requirement for retail display space, and other production and marketing disadvantages. In addition, insole designs having relatively stiff components even when made to each shoe design, many times do not properly fit all shoes of a particular size because of differences in shoe designs used by the various manufacturers. The benefit of multi-sized replaceable insoles include reduced numbers of molds, reduced inventory requirements and retail display space. The disadvantage of previous multi-sized replaceable insoles has been that it was difficult to effectively incorporate features designed to achieve orthopedic benefits.
Thus, there has been a need for a multi-sized replaceable insole design which can utilize relatively stiff support members and yet properly fit in a variety of different sized shoes. Also, there has been a need for a replaceable insole design that includes relatively stiff support members that can better fit a particular shoe size to account for differences in shoe designs from the various manufacturers.